Structural members



Nov. 24, 1964 a. E. WATSON 3,157,965

STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Filed April 24, 1961 FIG. -I.

United States Patent 0 This invention relates to structural members and more particularly pertains to a new and improved construction material for siding, roofing, or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved structural members comprised of adjacent panels which are effectively sealed to one another.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved structural members which are relatively inexpensive and simple to construct and, although fabricated of plurality of adjacent sheets, forms a weathersealed construction useful as building siding or as a building roof.

A structural member in accordance with the present invention comprises a plurality of sheet material sections disposed adjacent to one another in side-by-side relation including substantially coextensive edge portions of gen. erally U-shaped cross section in interlocking cooperation with one another and having opposed surfaces. A pliant member extends along the edge portions and is in engagement with the opposed surfaces of the edge portions.

The novel features characterizing the present invention are set forth with particularlity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, together with further objects and advantages thereof may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a sheet material section or panel which can be utilized in a structural member embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 represents portions of a pair of panels of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 in a structure featuring the present invention, as viewed in cross section in the direction of arrow 2 in FIG. 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 3 is an edge view of portions of a pair of panels shown in one position during the process of assembling the panels; and

FIG. 4 represents the panels of FIG. 3 in final assembled condition.

As shown in FIG. 1, a panel useful in a structural member embodying the present invention may be constructed of sheet metal in the form of a panel Jill. Panel 1% may be formed of aluminum or steel and may, if desired, be coated with a protective finish, such as baked enamel. It may also be formed with a series of steps or corrugations ll, l2, 13, which extend in the same directions as its parallel edges 1 and 15 for strengthening the sheet and/ or decorative purposes. Edge 14 is bent downwardly and then upwardly to form a downwardly extending channel 16 of generally U-shaped configuration in cross section. Edge 15 is bent upwardly and then downwardly to form a similar, upwardly extending channel 17. The legs of each U-shaped channel are essentially straight and are parallel to one another.

As best seen in MG. 2, panel 19 and another similar panel lb are included in a structure embodying the in vention. Thus, these sheet material sections are disposed adjacent to one another in side-by-side relation with the edge 15 of panel 1t) coextensive with the edge 14' of panel It). The U-shaped channels 17 and 1d are in interlockin cooperation with the outer surface 1% of channel 17 opposite to the inner surface 19 of channel 16'. A pliant, resilient member constructed, for example, of polyvinyl chloride or rubber extends along edge portions 15 and 14'. It is normally of cylindrical configuration with an unstressed diameter in cross section greater than the distance between surfaces 18 and 19. Thus, in its functional condition member 2th is distorted into oval configuraiton and its resiliency maintains it in firm engagement with those surfaces 13 and 19. Stated another way, the uncompressed cross-sectional diameter of member 24 is larger than the diiference between the distance d between the inner surface of the legs of channel 16' and the thickness t of the outer leg of channel 17. In this way a weather-tight seal is effected between the panels ll! and ilil. By using a member 20, which coextends with edges 15 and 14-, in a building structure such as a roof or sidewalk, water leaks are avoided.

Although but a single juncture between two panels has been illustrated, it is obvious that any desired number may be joined in a like manner to form a structure of a size required for any of a variety of applications.

The panels just described may be assembled in accordance with the technique illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. A first panel 29 is placed on a transverse rafter 21 and a clip 22 has a U-shaped portion 23 conformed to and in engagement with an upwardly extending -U-shaped channel 24 on edge 25 of panel 26 The clip is appropriately secured to rafter 21 thereby securing the panel 20. Another similar panel 2% having a downwardly extending U-shaped channel 26 at its edge 27 is positioned so that channel 26 interlocks with channel 24. Panel 20' is then lifted and rolled back while channels 24 and 2e are interlocked to form a space into which a pliant, resilient member 28 is inserted, as shown in FIG. 3. The member 28 is worked into place along the entire length of channels 24 and 26 and panel 2d is rotated downward to the position shown in FIG. 4 where it is secured in place by another clip (not shown) like clip 22. By observing the dimensional relationship explained earlier, member 28 is comphessed tightly in engagement with a pair of adjacent surfaces of channels 24 and 26, thereby forming a very effective weathertight seal. Successive panels may be joined in the same way to complete an entire roof or wall, as the case may be. Obviously, instead of using clips, the panels may be secured to the rafter by screws, rivets, bolts or the like.

From the foregoing description it is evident that a sheet material structure embodying the present invention is relatively inexepnsive and simple to construct and although constructed of a plurality of sheets, forms a Weather-sealed structure useful as building siding or as a building roof.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that various changes or modifications may be made within a true spirit and scope of the invention, and thus it is intended that all such changes or modifications shall be covered by the appended claims.

Having described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A preformed lock-joint structural assembly for sheathing, comprising a plurality of sheet material sections each having at its opposite longitudinal edges serially complemental interengageable members comprising nondeformable U-shaped channels, said channels having substantially parallel spaced legs, the terminal portion of a leg at each edge extending in a diametrically opposite direction to that at the opposite edge, the relative spacing of said legs being greater than the caliper of the material of said sections and providing for freedom of manipulation of a leg of one of said sections through an arcuate path relative to the leg of another previously assembled complemental section, a compressible resilient sealing member interposed in the terminal portion of one section and between a leg thereof and the leg of an adjacent section, the relative juxtaposed assembly of the faces of said legs serving to press the terminal portions of said sections into face-to-face relation and thereby distortably compress said resilient member between said juxtaposed faces of said legs to prevent leakage between the assembled sheathing members.

2. A preformed lock-joint structural assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a clip is provided for fastening each of said sections to a support means, said clip comprising an offstanding U-shaped channel portion conforming to the channel of said sheet material section and including a terminal portion complemental to the channel section it is adapted to engage, said compressible resilient sealing member being interposed between the terminal portion of said clip and the spaced leg portion of an adjacent section of said sheet material to force each of said terminal portions firmly into face-to-face relation.

3. A preformed lock-joint structural assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient member has an unstressed dimension greater than the space in which it is located so that as to bias the free end portions into faceto-face relation.

References (Zited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 370,659 Sagendorph Sept. 27, 1887 1,176,080 Miller Mar. 21, 1916 1,664,261 Mullins et al. Mar. 27, 1928 2,003,728 Von Forster et al. June 4, 1935 2,013,330 Abraham Sept. 3, 1935 2,050,162 Creighton Aug. 4, 1936 2,446,323 Davis et al Aug. 3, 1948 2,602,408 Smith-Johannsen July 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,117,238 France Feb. 20, 1956 1,133,638 France Jan. 26, 1959 

1. A PERFORMED LOCK-JOINT STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY FOR SHEATING, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SHEET MATERIAL SECTIONS EACH HAVING AT ITS OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL EDGES SERIALLY COMPLEMENTAL INTERENGAGEABLE MEMBERS COMPRISING NONDEFORMABLE U-SHAPED CHANNELS, SAID CHANNELS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SPACED LEGS, THE TERMINAL PORTION OF A LEG AT EACH EDGE EXTENDING IN A DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THAT AT THE OPPOSITE EDGE, THE RELATIVE SPACING OF SAID LEGS BEING GREATER THAN THE CALIPER OF THE MATERIAL OF SAID SECTIONS AND PROVIDING FOR FREEDOM OF MANIPULATION OF A LEG OF ONE OF SAID SECTIONS THROUGH AN ARCUATE PATH RELATIVE TO THE LEG OF ANOTHER PREVIOUSLY ASSEMBLED COMPLEMENTAL SECTION, A COMPRESSIBLE RESILIENT SEALING MEMBER INTERPOSED IN THE TERMINAL PORTION OF ONE SECTION AND BETWEEN A LEG THEREOF AND THE LEG OF AN ADJACENT SECTION, THE RELATIVE JUXTAPOSED ASSEMBLY OF THE FACES OF SAID LEGS SERVING TO PRESS THE TERMINAL PORTIONS OF SAID SECTIONS INTO FACE-TO-FACE RELATION AND THEREBY DISTORTABLY COMPRESS SAID RESILIENT MEMBER BETWEEN SAID JUXTAPOSED FACES OF SAID LEGS TO PREVENT LEAKAGE BETWEEN THE ASSEMBLED SHEATING MEMBERS. 